"..."
Quirrell fell silent.
He was indeed regretting why he had gone to Albania in the first place, but he daren't entertain the thought anymore. At this moment, this Professor of Muggle Studies was truly in a state of inner turmoil.
Others' bosses might at least paint a few big pies; his boss not only refused to paint pies, but also didn't provide any emotional value, and even spent the servants' money without so much as a thank you.
Things that could restore Life Force, even in a regular market, were quite expensive, not to mention the black market. Quirrell could already feel the impending ruin upon him.
Truth be told, if he hadn't been puzzled as to why Snape turned the office into a high-security zone the moment he stole a few Magic Potion Materials, Quirrell felt he and Voldemort wouldn't have been so passive now. He even out of his own pocket stealthily brewed potions to try and poison Grindelwald.
"Snape never used to guard against thieves this tightly!"
The Professor of Muggle Studies sighed in frustration.
He only felt his future was bleak and hopeless.
...
Snowflakes gently fell on the spires and courtyards, draping the ancient Magic School in a gauzy white veil. Ice crystals sparkled on the branches and eaves.
Like tiny stars, they adorned this tranquil winter world. In the slightly chilly corridors, Ian and Aurora encountered many classmates out and about.
These Little Wizards joked around in the school using holiday-themed props, but there were always those who liked to spoil the mood, running out to interfere with the Little Wizards' fun.
Swearing Filch seemed unable to bear seeing others happy, even if the Little Wizards weren't breaking any school rules. Still, he made noise with his mop and iron bucket.
"Bang bang bang!!"
Filch was energetically using his mop to bang on the iron bucket, creating a grating noise, and loudly insinuating that the Little Wizards were brought up poorly. It showed his intent to disgust everyone, even though he had no reason to disrupt their playfulness.
It was only when he saw Ian approaching that Filch restrained himself somewhat. His bully-the-weak and fear-the-strong personality was evident. He even dared to cast a malicious glare at Aurora, as if ready to bang his iron bucket to scare the Little Witch at any moment.
"I actually don't like that caretaker either," Ian quickly said to Aurora. The German Girl pondered for a moment, took out her Magic Wand, and pointed lightly in the direction of the iron bucket.
After that, she hurriedly pulled Ian and ran away.
"What did you do?"
Ian hadn't seen Aurora's Casting process, as he was distracted watching two upperclassmen kissing by the window, which made him slightly worried as Aurora dragged him away.
Even if Filch was unpopular, it hardly justified getting cursed sneakily by students.
"I gave him a Christmas present?" Aurora's tone grew ever more uncertain, making Ian feel the situation could be serious; his instincts were not wrong.
"Bang!"
After Ian and Aurora fled, Filch had a smug grin and once again began beating the iron bucket to disrupt the Little Wizards' joy.
Then.
"Boom!!"
A loud explosion followed.
Filch was knocked over by the blast from his own iron bucket.
Ian smelled a hint of something that shouldn't belong to the Magic World in the air.
"Nitroglycerin!?"
The Little Wizards' eyes widened like copper bells.
"Just a tiny bit," Aurora gestured with her hand in a way that would enrage the Great Cold Nether Country, making Ian finally realize who the most dangerous person in the school was.
Not him, not Voldemort, not Grindelwald, but the German Girl in front of him.
"In Alchemy... we don't usually use this stuff..." Ian wondered why his voice automatically lowered; he only knew Filch was now knocked out cold.
"I'm also learning the Muggles' knowledge; it's been my grandfather's request since I was little," Aurora replied, checking back to confirm Filch was not dead before responding seriously to Ian.
She clearly understood the amount needed to teach a lesson without causing harm.
"Magic combined with Science! Truly promising!" Ian gave Aurora a thumbs-up, acknowledging that Filch was fortunate. Aurora was now much more reserved than before the school term started.
"You should be much stronger than me right now." Aurora looked at Ian, speaking with certainty, seemingly judging from Ian's performance in the Forbidden Forest.
"Only a little bit." Ian also made a hand gesture; his humility didn't exaggerate to the extent of fingertip galactic proportions when assessing Aurora's Magic Power level.
After all.
Ian should have a clearer understanding of Magic Power levels compared to many without a system. If his view on Magic Power was correct, Aurora was about at Level 7 Magic Power now.
Upon reaching adulthood, she'll inevitably progress to Level 8 Dean Level, but whether she can advance further depends not only on her genetic heritage but also her fortune.
Dumbledore and Grindelwald weren't Level 9 after adulthood; accumulation of time, secondary Magic Power bursts, are all essential steps in becoming Level 9, the pinnacle of the Human World.